By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – During a brief discussion regarding pending improvements to parish offices on the east and west banks of St. John the Baptist Parish, parish officials told council members there was an option on the table to convert the St. John Community Center into a government office complex, but the idea was ultimately nixed.

Parish President Natalie Robottom told the council recently that her administration is in fact moving forward with previous plans to construct a potential multi-floor building on the grounds of the existing Percy Hebert Building in LaPlace, the current location for most east bank offices.

Robottom said the Hebert building is in a central location in LaPlace, making it easier for residents to take care of business. She said a move to the civic center, located on U.S. Highway 51, would force people to drive through much more traffic.

Robottom said a complex would keep multiple agencies in the same vicinity. The offices of the St. John sheriff and assessor are already located in the building. She said the parish’s planning and zoning department, currently housed with parish utilities, would also move to the new east bank building. She said the size of the building would be reduced from 50,000 square feet to 34,000 square feet due to budget constraints.

Robottom said the 47,000-square-foot civic center was thrown into the discussion because the parish has constantly struggled to make the building profitable. The parish is expecting to receive $135,000 in rental fees from a production company filming the television show “Memphis Beat.” It will also get about $130,000 from state appropriated hotel/motel taxes. According to the 2010 budget, the building will cost the parish a little over $314,000 to operate.

Robottom said the parish can now focus on a long-term strategy to better market the civic center.

The construction projects for the east and west bank are being funded through a $29.5 million bond issue for various public improvement projects approved by voters in 2009. The parish set aside $6 million for the new east bank complex and $1 million for renovations and expansion at the parish courthouse in Edgard. Both projects are being designed by Murray Architects of Destrehan.

Prior to the design of improvements to the Edgard courthouse, the parish polled occupants of the building to determine space needs for each office. The parish originally wanted to expand the footprint of the building, but Robottom said budget constraints forced the parish to rethink that project as well.

She said the new plan being considered involves shrinking the courthouse’s common areas by moving office walls closer to the center.

The parish also wants to add additional parking, an enclosed courtyard and safer parking for judges. The parish hopes to have the final scope of the projects by January.